Lake De Smet

Lake De Smet is located in northern Wyoming consisting of 3,400 gorgeous surface acres of crisp, clear water. Its surface elevation is 4,757 feet. At its deepest, Lake De Smet is 120 feet deep and it serves as a reservoir for Johnson County. It’s an excellent place for swimming, fishing, boating, and other popular water-based activities, and during the summer months, it can become very lively thanks to tourism and locals wanting to get out and enjoy the beautiful state of Wyoming while the weather is good for it. Lake De Smet occupies a natural un-drained basin on the divide between Piney Creek, and one of its tributaries, Boxelder Creek. It is one of several basins in the Buffalo area that were formed by coal seam fires

The lake is named after Father Pierre Jean De Smet (a Jesuit Priest), the first white man to set eyes on the lake. Jesuit is an apostolic religious community called the Society of Jesus, the name being a play of words. Many travelers have claimed of seeing a Loch-Ness-type creature and swimmers are reported to disappear beneath the water, never to surface again. Others have noticed animals becoming frightened and don't go near certain areas of the lake, as well as weird noises heard in the night.

One Native American legend tells the tale of a tribe of Indians that set up camp on the shore of Lake De Smet. Little Moon, a young warrior from the tribe, made plans with his sweetheart, Star Dust, to meet at the edge of the lake after everyone else was asleep. Little Moon arrived early and looked at the lake as he waited for Star Dust. He noticed a collection of mist hovering over the lake and, as he watched, it formed into the face of a beautiful woman who smiled at the boy and gestured to him. Little Moon was so entranced with the beautiful woman in the mist, he barely noticed Star Dust when she walked up beside him. The spirit had Little Moon so spell-bound that he angrily shoved Star Dust away when she tried to place her arms around him. When the young man turned back to the lake, the vision of the woman was gone. The next morning, Star Dust's body was found, drowned in the waters of the lake. It's believed that she plunged herself into Lake De Smet, overcome by grief from her lover's rejection. As punishment, Star Dust's father had Little Moon tied to a rock near the place where the girl's body had been found. He was left there at the mercy of the lake, weather, and wild animals. It's said that, even today, odd sounds can be heard at the lake at night, and that they're the heartbroken cries of Little Moon.

This lake has a diverse and interesting biology that surrounds it. This includes the types of rocks that are around it, the fish that live in it, invasive species, and the plants that are at the bottom. This section will outline its biology, invasive species, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's plan to solve them.

The types of fish that are found in Lake De Smet include: Bass, Walleye, Freshwater Drum, Salmon, Trout, Yellow Perch, Green Sunfish, Carp, Crappie, and Kokanee.

• Best time to fish: Early morning & late evening
• Life Span is around10-12 years
• Freshwater Bass are most referred to as Largemouth Bass and they are carnivorous
• Average size is 12-15 inches but they can grow 17-20+ inches in quality populations
• Bass is a generic common name shared by many species of ray-finned fish from the large clade Percomorpha, mainly belonging to the orders Perciformes and Moroniformes, encompassing both freshwater and marine species.

• Average size: 2.5 - 3 feet
• Water type: cool deep quiet waters of rivers, lakes and reservoirs
• The walleye, also called the yellow pike or yellow pikeperch or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European zander, also known as the pikeperch.
• Color/description: The dorsal side of a walleye is olive, grading into a golden hue on the flanks. The olive/gold pattern is broken up by five darker saddles that extend to the upper sides. The color shades to white on the belly.
• The mouth of a walleye is large and is armed with many sharp teeth
• Average Weight: 9 kg (20 lbs.)

• Most active season: June & July
• Avg. Weight: 5–15 lbs. (2.3–6.8 kg)
• The freshwater drum is gray or silvery in turbid waters and more bronze or brown colored in clearer waters.
• The freshwater drum prefers clear water, but it is tolerant of turbid and murky water. They prefer the bottom to be clean sand and gravel substrates.
• During the summer, freshwater drums move into warm, shallow water that is less than 33 ft. (10 m) deep.
• The freshwater drum then spawn during a six to seven-week period from June through July when the water reaches a temperature of about 65 °F (18 °C).

• Sockeye Salmon are about 9.3 pounds fully grown
• The salmon has long been at the heart of the culture and livelihood of coastal dwellers, which can be traced as far back as 5,000 years when archeologists discovered Nisqually tribe remnants.
• The salmon is an important creature in several strands of Celtic mythology and poetry, which often associated them with wisdom and venerability.
• In Irish folklore, fishermen associated salmon with fairies and thought it was unlucky to refer to them by name.

• Trout is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes
• Trout are closely related to salmon and have similar migratory life cycles. Most trout are strictly potamodromous, spending their entire lives exclusively in freshwater lakes, rivers and wetlands and migrating upstream to spawn in the shallow gravel beds of smaller headwater creeks.
• Trout are usually found in cool (50–60 °F or 10–16 °C), clear streams and lakes, although many of the species have anadromous strains as well. Young trout are referred to as troutlet, troutling or fry.
• Trout are very popular freshwater game fish highly prized especially by creek fishermen, because they generally put up a good fight when caught with a hook and line
• Trout are predatory fish, lure fishing (which use replica baits called lures to imitate live prey) is the predominant form of sport fishing

• Size: 7.5 inches
• Life Span: 10-11 years
• Like most perches, the yellow perch has two separate dorsal fins. The anterior, or first, dorsal fin contains 12–14 spines while the second has 2–3 spines in its anterior followed by 12–13 soft rays. The upper part of the head and body varies in color from bright green through to olive or golden brown.
• The color on the upper body extends onto the flanks where it creates a pattern of 6–8 vertical bars over a background of yellow or yellowish green. They normally show a blackish blotch on the membrane of the first dorsal fin between the rearmost 3 or 4 spines.
• The maximum recorded total length is 50 centimeters (20 in)—although they are more commonly around 19.1 centimeters (7.5 in)—and the maximum published weight is 1.9 kilograms (4.2 lb).[3]

• Mass: 1.2 Ibs. (Adult)
• The green sunfish is blue-green in color on its back and sides with yellow-flecked bony-ridged (ctenoid) scales, as well as yellow coloration on the ventral sides. The gill covers and sides of head have broken bright blue stripes, causing some to mistakenly confuse them with bluegill.
• It has a relatively big mouth and long snout that extends to beneath the middle of the eye.
• The species prefers areas in sluggish backwaters, lakes, and ponds with gravel, sand, or bedrock bottoms. They also can be found in very muddy waters and are able to tolerate poor water conditions.
• Green sunfish tend to spend their time hiding around rocks, submerged logs, plants, and other things that provide cover.

• Mass: Common carp: 4.4 – 31 lbs, Grass carp: 55 lbs
• Length: Common carp: 16 – 31 in.
• Lifespan: Common carp: 20 years, Mirror carp: 20 years
• Carp habitat: Carp are freshwater fish that live their whole lives in pools in streams, lakes, and reservoirs. They prefer larger, warmer, slower-moving bodies of water with soft muddy bottoms, but they are tolerant and hardy fish that thrive in a wide variety of aquatic habitats.
• In Europe, even when not fished for food, they are eagerly sought by anglers, being considered highly prized coarse fish that are difficult to hook.
• In the United States, carp are also classified as a rough fish, as well as a damaging naturalized exotic species, but with sporting qualities.
• Carp have long suffered from a poor reputation in the United States as undesirable for angling or for the table, especially since they are typically an invasive species out-competing more desirable local game fish.

• Best Bait to Catch: Minnows
• Fishing depth: 2 feet or 18-25 ft zone
• The Pomoxis species are highly regarded panfish and are often considered to be among the best-tasting freshwater food fish. Because of their diverse diets, crappie may be caught in many ways, including casting light jigs, trolling with minnows or soft lures, using small spinnerbaits, or using bobbers with common hookbaits.
• Crappies are also popular with ice anglers, as they are active in winter.
• Fishing record: Black crappie: 2.47 kg (5 lb 7 oz), caught by Lionel "Jam" Ferguson at Richeison Pond in Tennessee on 15 May 2018, White crappie: 2.35 kg (5 lb 3 oz), caught by Fred Brigh at Enid Dam, Mississippi on 31 July 1957

• While size range of kokanee is often lake-specific and depends on many factors, in typical populations the kokanee grows to an average size of 23–30 centimetres (9–12 in) with an average weight of 0.45 kilograms (1 lb).
• In bodies of water with more favorable conditions it can reach a size of up to 51 centimetres (20 in) and weigh 1.4–2.3 kilograms (3–5 lb).
• The largest documented kokanee, caught by hand in Lower Arrow Lake in British Columbia in 2015, weighed 5.5 kilograms (12.1 lb).
• The typical life cycle of the kokanee is similar to that of other salmon.
• They are born in a stream and migrate down to a lake where they will spend most of their adult lives. Kokanee typically live for four years in a lake before heading back to spawning grounds to spawn and die.

The types of plants that are found at the bottom of the lake include Hydrilla, Curly Pondweed, and Eurasian Watermilfoil. All of these plants have a huge effect on fishing, swimming, and boating within the lake; each with their own interesting impact and facts.

• Origin: Asia
• Distribution: Throughout the United States.
• Impacts: Clog lakes, out-compete natives, alter water chemistry, reduce fish forage.
• Dispersal: Transported as small plant fragments attached to trailered watercraft, or through the aquarium trade.
• Characteristics: Heavily branched, small, pointed leaves-5 per whorl. Coarse teeth along leaf margin, midrib often red color, submersed, rooted, perennial.

• Origin: Europe, Asia
• Distribution: Throughout the United States.
• Impacts: Displace natives, clog lakes, reduce fish forage and invertebrate abundance.
• Dispersal: Transported as small plant fragments attached to trailered watercraft.
• Characteristics: Long, branched stems, finely divided leaves, 3-5 per whorl, threadlike leaflets – pairs of 12-20, submerged, perennial.

• Origin: Eurasia, Africa and Australia
• Distribution: Found in Lake DeSmet, Newton Lakes, Beck Lake, Shoshone River. North Platte River (Miracle Mile), and Keyhole, Boysen, Deaver, Wheatland #3 and Pathfinder Reservoirs, Wyoming.
• Impacts: Competes with native plants reducing plant diversity and forms dense mats that impact water-based recreation.
• Dispersal: Reproduces by seed which can be easily transferred in mud or water. It has been introduced into new areas by accidental introductions and as an ornamental plant.
• Characteristics: Leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, and are submersed. The leaf margins are distinctively wavy or 'curled‘ with a prominent red-tinged midvein.

even though the lake is pretty and well taken care of by the State of Wyoming, it still has its flaws. This included the possible Mussel infestation that has been noticed to have a presence. It is believed that they are attaching themselves to boats of visitors. The Wyoming Game and Fish Departments have taken a notice and outlined a plan to solve the infestations.

Zebra Mussel:

• Difficulty getting rid of because of the biology of them
• They are only finger nail sized mussels
• The zebra mussel is a small freshwater mussel.
• The species originates from the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine, but has been accidentally introduced to numerous other areas, including Southwest Kansas Lakes and has become an invasive species in many countries worldwide.

Quagga Mussel:

• Clutch size: 1,000,000 eggs in one year
• The quagga mussel is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Dreissenidae.
• It has an average lifespan of 3 to 5 years.
• Can last out of water for one week
• They clog water intake structures, such as pipelines and screens, reducing pumping capabilities for power and water treatment facilities.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Departments outlined the infestation and the plan to get rid of and identify it. This includes representing the dangers it poses and getting rid of the problem while it is still manageable to the State.

• Years 1-2: Close Monument boat ramp
• Allow launching from ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.
• Establish exit check stations at Mikesell-Potts area.
• Close reservoir to shore launching.
• Begin construction of upgraded Mikesell-Potts inspection area.
• Years 2+: Keep Monument Boat Ramp closed
• Allow launching from ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.
• Allow boaters that only launch at Lake De Smet to sign up for the local boater program to speed up their exit after they clean, drain and dry their watercraft.
• Close reservoir to shore launching

Zebra and quagga mussels have caused fisheries collapses, damage to boats and motors, hazards to swimmers and waders, poor water quality, and significant damage to water treatment facilities, hydroelectric power generators and irrigation systems. Since Wyoming is a headwater state, these impacts would cascade down the Columbia, Colorado and Missouri river drainages if they become established here

If zebra or quagga mussels were detected in a Wyoming lake, efforts would shift to keep them from spreading to other waters. Rapid Response Plans have been developed for 23 Wyoming lakes and reservoirs that describe how that would happen. All boats leaving the lake would need to be inspected to ensure they are free of zebra or quagga mussels. How would a detection of zebra or quagga mussels affect the boating experience? Wait times may be an issue, since all boats would require an inspection (and possibly decontamination) before leaving a zebra or quagga mussel water. In addition, launching of boats may be restricted to fewer ramps, and shore launching may be prohibited. When possible, closures and restrictions will be avoided, but some may be necessary. Local boater programs may be pursued that allow boats that are only used on that particular water to “fast-track” the exit inspection process.

The hills surrounding the lake are Tertiary (Eocene) sedimentary rocks, marked by resistant outcroppings of clinker. Clinker is a red or black rock that results when coal seams burn and bake the overlying sediments

• Clinker is a hard, fused and/or partially melted sedimentary rock, with well preserved shaley texture, forming in burnt coal seams or bituminous sediments.
• More glassy, vesicular molten rock, that is sometimes incorrectly named scoria, should be called buchite.
• Characteristic features of clinker include a resemblance to pavement brick (klinkaert) and a "metallic" sound when hit by a hammer.
• Clinker is the most common rock type found in burning coal mining dumps and is usually red or pink, less commonly yellow or white in color.
• It is usually composed of quartz, feldspars, mica and minor mullite. White clinker-like rocks are sometimes called porcellanites, though this can have widely

• Sediments of Tertiary age are widely developed on the deep ocean floor and on elevated seamounts as well.
• In the shallower parts of the ocean (above depths of 4.5 km [about 3 miles]), sediments are calcareous (made of calcium carbonate), siliceous (derived from silica), or both, depending on local productivity.

The Lake De Smet Fishing Derby is an Annual local event. The event features prizes, raffles, and a great family Memorial Day weekend. The event has been held at the lake since 1985 and is popular among people who enjoy fishing. It also promotes the lake during the Summer days for swimming and gives people in Sheridan and Buffalo Wyoming a chance to get away from the Summer traffic and heat. This event only happens once a year and allows people to enjoy the selective warmth of the Wyoming Summer.

• The 39th Annual Lake De Smet Fishing Derby and Raffle happened Memorial Day Weekend of 2023 at the lake located 8 miles north of Buffalo.
• In addition to tagged fish available for various amounts of cash, the derby will offer daily prizes and drawings and overall prizes including the Grand Prize of a Polaris Sportsman 570 Trail ATV. Over $50,000 in cash and prizes are available to claim during the three-day event happening Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
• In Sheridan and Gillette, tickets can be purchased at Rocky Mountain Discount Sports. The event is sponsored and presented by the Buffalo Lions Club.
• Participants can fish for tagged fish for various amounts of cash, win daily prizes, and vie for the Grand Prize, a 2022 Polaris Sportsman 570 Trail ATV.
• Tickets are available at Derby Headquarters at the Mikesell-Potts Recreation Area at Lake DeSmet, Wa-Hoo Liquors, the Lake Stop, Sports Lure, Ultimate Outdoors, and Crazy Woman Liquors in Buffalo; and Rocky Mountain Discount Sports in Sheridan and Gillette. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased for one, two, or all three days of the fishing derby.

• The 19th Annual Lake De Smet fishing derby was also scheduled during the Memorial Day holiday weekend by the Buffalo Lions Club. The derby took place May 25-27 at Lake De Smet, which is located seven miles north of Buffalo on I-90.
• Two grand prize drawings was conducted for two Yamaha Big Bear 4x4's.
• The club also tagged more than 200 fish, sponsored by local businesses. The cash prizes for the tagged trout range from $100 to $2,000, with more than $5,500 in prizes and cash up for grabs.
• Anglers who catch a 2002 tagged fish before the derby could turn the tag into the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce to be entered into an early-bird drawing for four $100 gift certificates.
• Each participant must have a valid Wyoming fishing license and the fee to enter is $25 each for three days or$10 for a single day.
• The winning tickets for the grand prizes were drawn from the registrations each day.

Another event that takes place in Sheridan, Wyoming is the Sheridan County Rodeo that is known for its long week of fun and visits to the once-a-year busy fairgrounds. While the Rodeo is getting packed, fair tickets are sold just across the road. The fair offers fun rides, hot foods, and a popular presence. The affordable price for the tickets are an added bonus to the entertainment and three nights of great fun.